A former Orion manager has surprisingly credible plans to fly European astronauts

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attribute to the header if (this.$el.closest('#site-header')) { this.$el.closest('#site-header').dataset.dropdownOpen = 'true'; } this.open = true }, close() { if (!this.open) { return; } // If we're inside main header, add a data attribute to the header if (this.$el.closest('#site-header')) { this.$el.closest('#site-header').dataset.dropdownOpen = 'false'; } this.open = false } }" @keydown.escape.prevent.stop="close($refs.button)" @focusin.window="! $refs.panel.contains($event.target) && close()" x-id="['dropdown-button']">  <button type="button" x-ref="button" x-on:click=" toggle(); $dispatch('dropdown-opened', { panel: $refs.panel }); " :aria-expanded="open" :aria-controls="$id('dropdown-button')" :class="{ selected: open }" class="group flex items-center group" arial-label="" aria-label="Open text settings dropdown"> <svg class="h-5 w-5 text-gray-300 group-hover:text-green-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="text-settings-open_svg__a"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="text-settings-open_svg__b"><path fill="none" stroke-width="0" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#text-settings-open_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#text-settings-open_svg__b)"><path d="M26.38 23.2c-.19.21-.28.49-.28.85v.58c0 .4.11.72.34.93.23.22.59.33 1.09.33.42 0 .88-.09 1.37-.27q.735-.27 1.47-.75c.06-.04.11-.09.17-.13v-1.87h-3.23q-.66.015-.93.33"/><path d="M32 0H8C3.58 0 0 3.58 0 8v24.01C0 36.42 3.58 40 8 40h24c4.42 0 8-3.58 8-8V8c0-4.42-3.58-8-8-8M17.88 28.23l-1.23-4.42h-5.77l-1.23 4.42H5.84l4.88-15.77a1.316 1.316 0 0 1 1.28-.97h3.52q.465 0 .81.27c.23.18.39.41.47.7l4.85 15.77h-3.79Zm16.28 0H31.3l-.38-1.92c-.27.33-.59.65-.98.96-.44.35-.95.64-1.53.89-.58.24-1.25.36-1.99.36s-1.38-.13-1.97-.39q-.87-.39-1.38-1.14c-.34-.5-.51-1.12-.51-1.87v-1.24c0-.95.32-1.7.97-2.23s1.54-.8 2.67-.8h4.34v-.56c0-.57-.13-.98-.4-1.24s-.77-.39-1.52-.39c-.61 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<select name="text-settings-size" class="text-settings-size col-span-2 bg-gray-600 text-sm text-gray-300"> <option value="small">Small</option> <option value="standard" selected>Standard</option> <option value="large">Large</option> </select> <label class="font-impact hidden w-20 text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-100 md:block" for="text-settings-width">Width <span class="text-gray-400">*</span> </label> <select name="text-settings-width" class="text-settings-width col-span-2 hidden bg-gray-600 text-sm text-gray-300 md:block"> <option value="standard" selected>Standard</option> <option value="wide">Wide</option> </select> <label class="font-impact w-20 text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-100" for="text-settings-links">Links</label> <select name="text-settings-links" class="text-settings-links col-span-2 bg-gray-600 text-sm text-gray-300"> <option value="standard" selected>Standard</option> <option value="orange">Orange</option> </select> <div class="font-impact col-span-3 hidden text-sm font-semibold uppercase text-gray-400 md:block"> <span class="mb-0 italic">* Subscribers only</span><br>   <a href="/store/product/subscriptions/" class="text-green-400">Learn more</a> </div> <button class="font-impact text-settings-position col-span-3 mx-auto my-3 block rounded-sm border-2 border-green-400 px-3 py-1 text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-100" value="story"> Pin to story </button> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div x-data="{ open: false, toggle() { if (this.open) { return this.close() } // If we're inside main header, add a data attribute to the header if (this.$el.closest('#site-header')) { this.$el.closest('#site-header').dataset.dropdownOpen = 'true'; } this.open = true }, close() { if (!this.open) { return; } // If we're inside main header, add a data attribute to the header if (this.$el.closest('#site-header')) { this.$el.closest('#site-header').dataset.dropdownOpen = 'false'; } this.open = false } }" @keydown.escape.prevent.stop="close($refs.button)" @focusin.window="! $refs.panel.contains($event.target) && close()" x-id="['dropdown-button']">  <button type="button" x-ref="button" x-on:click=" toggle(); $dispatch('dropdown-opened', { panel: $refs.panel }); " :aria-expanded="open" :aria-controls="$id('dropdown-button')" :class="{ selected: open }" class="group flex items-center group" arial-label="" aria-label="Open Theme selection dropdown"> <span class="sr-only">Theme</span> <span x-data="{ placeholder: true }"> <span class="inline-block h-5 w-5" x-show="placeholder"></span> <span x-show="darkMode" x-cloak x-init="placeholder = false"> <svg class="h-5 w-5 text-yellow-100 group-hover:text-yellow-200" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 38.4 38.4"><defs><clipPath id="theme-dark_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h38.4v38.4H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="theme-dark_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h38.4v38.4H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#theme-dark_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#theme-dark_svg__b)"><path d="M14.5 11.4c0-4.3 1.4-8.2 3.7-11.4C8.8 1.3 1.6 9.3 1.6 19.1s8.6 19.3 19.3 19.3 12.1-3.1 15.6-7.9c-.9.1-1.8.2-2.7.2-10.7 0-19.3-8.6-19.3-19.3m17.8-6.8v2.1c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4V4.6c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4m0 6.8v2.1c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4v-2.1c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4m-5.8-3.7h2.1c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4h-2.1c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4m6.8 0h2.1c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4h-2.1c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4"/></g></g></svg> </span> <span x-show="!darkMode" x-cloak x-init="placeholder = false"> <svg class="h-5 w-5 text-yellow-400 group-hover:text-yellow-200" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="theme-light_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="theme-light_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#theme-light_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#theme-light_svg__b)"><path d="M30 20c0 5.5-4.5 10-10 10s-10-4.5-10-10 4.5-10 10-10 10 4.5 10 10m8.6 1.4h-2.2c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4h2.2c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4M34.1 7.9l-1.5 1.5c-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0-.6-.6-.6-1.5 0-2l1.5-1.5c.6-.6 1.5-.6 2 0 .6.6.6 1.5 0 2M21.4 1.4v2.2c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4V1.4c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4M7.9 5.9l1.5 1.5c.6.6.6 1.5 0 2-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0L5.9 7.9c-.6-.6-.6-1.5 0-2 .6-.6 1.5-.6 2 0M1.4 18.6h2.2c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4H1.4C.6 21.4 0 20.8 0 20s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4m4.5 13.5 1.5-1.5c.6-.6 1.4-.6 2 0s.6 1.5 0 2l-1.5 1.5c-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0-.6-.6-.6-1.5 0-2m12.7 6.5v-2.2c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4v2.2c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4m13.5-4.5-1.5-1.5c-.6-.6-.6-1.4 0-2s1.5-.6 2 0l1.5 1.5c.6.6.6 1.5 0 2-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0"/></g></g></svg> </span> </span> </button>  <div x-cloak x-ref="panel" x-show="open" x-transition.origin.top.center x-on:click.outside="close()" :id="$id('dropdown-button')" class="absolute overflow-hidden z-50 bg-gray-550 absolute right-0 top-14 mt-[1px] min-w-[200px] rounded-sm py-3 md:top-10"> <form action="." method="post"> <nav> <ul class=""> <li> <button class=" group flex w-full flex-row items-center px-5 py-2 text-gray-300 hover:bg-gray-700 hover:text-green-400 focus:bg-gray-700 focus:text-green-400" name="theme" type="submit" value="light" aria-label="Set theme to Light"> <svg class="group-with-selected:text-green-400 mr-2 inline-block h-5 w-5 text-gray-100 group-hover:text-green-400 group-focus:text-green-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="theme-light_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="theme-light_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#theme-light_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#theme-light_svg__b)"><path d="M30 20c0 5.5-4.5 10-10 10s-10-4.5-10-10 4.5-10 10-10 10 4.5 10 10m8.6 1.4h-2.2c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4h2.2c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4M34.1 7.9l-1.5 1.5c-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0-.6-.6-.6-1.5 0-2l1.5-1.5c.6-.6 1.5-.6 2 0 .6.6.6 1.5 0 2M21.4 1.4v2.2c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4V1.4c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4M7.9 5.9l1.5 1.5c.6.6.6 1.5 0 2-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0L5.9 7.9c-.6-.6-.6-1.5 0-2 .6-.6 1.5-.6 2 0M1.4 18.6h2.2c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4H1.4C.6 21.4 0 20.8 0 20s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4m4.5 13.5 1.5-1.5c.6-.6 1.4-.6 2 0s.6 1.5 0 2l-1.5 1.5c-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0-.6-.6-.6-1.5 0-2m12.7 6.5v-2.2c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4v2.2c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4m13.5-4.5-1.5-1.5c-.6-.6-.6-1.4 0-2s1.5-.6 2 0l1.5 1.5c.6.6.6 1.5 0 2-.6.6-1.5.6-2 0"/></g></g></svg> Light </button> </li> <li> <button class=" group flex w-full flex-row items-center px-5 py-2 text-gray-300 hover:bg-gray-700 hover:text-green-400 focus:bg-gray-700 focus:text-green-400" name="theme" type="submit" value="dark" aria-label="Set theme to Dark"> <svg class="group-with-selected:text-green-400 mr-2 inline-block h-5 w-5 text-gray-100 group-hover:text-green-400 group-focus:text-green-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 38.4 38.4"><defs><clipPath id="theme-dark_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h38.4v38.4H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="theme-dark_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h38.4v38.4H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#theme-dark_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#theme-dark_svg__b)"><path d="M14.5 11.4c0-4.3 1.4-8.2 3.7-11.4C8.8 1.3 1.6 9.3 1.6 19.1s8.6 19.3 19.3 19.3 12.1-3.1 15.6-7.9c-.9.1-1.8.2-2.7.2-10.7 0-19.3-8.6-19.3-19.3m17.8-6.8v2.1c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4V4.6c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4m0 6.8v2.1c0 .8-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4s-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4v-2.1c0-.8.6-1.4 1.4-1.4s1.4.6 1.4 1.4m-5.8-3.7h2.1c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4h-2.1c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4m6.8 0h2.1c.8 0 1.4.6 1.4 1.4s-.6 1.4-1.4 1.4h-2.1c-.8 0-1.4-.6-1.4-1.4s.6-1.4 1.4-1.4"/></g></g></svg> Dark </button> </li> <li> <button class="selected bg-gray-700 text-green-400 group flex w-full flex-row items-center px-5 py-2 text-gray-300 hover:bg-gray-700 hover:text-green-400 focus:bg-gray-700 focus:text-green-400" name="theme" type="submit" value="system" aria-label="Set theme to System"> <svg class="group-with-selected:text-green-400 mr-2 inline-block h-5 w-5 text-gray-100 group-hover:text-green-400 group-focus:text-green-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="theme-system_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="theme-system_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#theme-system_svg__a)"><g fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#theme-system_svg__b)"><path d="M32 4c2.2 0 4 1.8 4 4v24c0 2.2-1.8 4-4 4H8c-2.2 0-4-1.8-4-4V8c0-2.2 1.8-4 4-4zm0-4H8C3.6 0 0 3.6 0 8v24c0 4.4 3.6 8 8 8h24c4.4 0 8-3.6 8-8V8c0-4.4-3.6-8-8-8"/><path d="M8 8h8v8H8z"/></g></g></svg> System </button> </li> </ul> </nav> </form> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hidden md:flex md:justify-center" data-modal-id="search" x-data="{ open: false, init() { this.modalId = this.$el.dataset.modalId; }, show() { console.log(this.data); this.open = true; this.$dispatch('modal-opened', { panel: this.$refs.panel, modalId: this.modalId, }); }, hide() { this.open = false }, }"> <button type="button" aria-label="Search dialog..." class="search-button flex flex-row items-center text-gray-300 hover:text-gray-100" aria-label="Open search dialog" x-on:click="show()"> <svg class="h-5 w-5" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 40 40"><defs><clipPath id="magnify_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath><clipPath id="magnify_svg__b"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h40v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g clip-path="url(#magnify_svg__a)"><g fill="none" clip-path="url(#magnify_svg__b)"><path fill="currentColor" d="M39.2 35.4 29 25.2c4.4-6.2 3.9-15-1.7-20.6C24.2 1.6 20.1 0 16 0S7.8 1.6 4.7 4.7c-6.2 6.2-6.2 16.4 0 22.6C7.8 30.4 11.9 32 16 32s6.5-1 9.3-3l10.2 10.2c.5.5 1.2.8 1.9.8s1.4-.3 1.9-.8c1-1 1-2.7 0-3.8M8.5 23.5c-2-2-3.1-4.7-3.1-7.5s1.1-5.5 3.1-7.5 4.7-3.1 7.5-3.1 5.5 1.1 7.5 3.1c4.2 4.2 4.2 10.9 0 15.1-2 2-4.7 3.1-7.5 3.1s-5.5-1.1-7.5-3.1"/></g></g></svg> </button> <template x-teleport="body"> <div class="fixed inset-0 z-[99999] overflow-y-auto" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" x-cloak x-show="open" x-on:keydown.escape.window.prevent.stop="open = false" x-id="['modal-title']" x-ref="panel" :aria-labelledby="$id('modal-title')"> <div class="fixed inset-0 bg-slate-900/80 opacity-100 backdrop-blur" x-show="open" x-transition.duration.150ms> </div> <div class="relative flex min-h-screen items-center justify-center" x-on:click="open = false" x-show="open" x-transition.duration.150ms> <div x-on:click.stop x-trap.noscroll.inert="open"> <span class="sr-only" :id="$id('modal-title')"> Search dialog... </span> <div class="search-wrapper relative z-[99999] w-screen p-5"> <div class="gcse-search"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </template> </div> <div class="h-5 w-[1px] bg-gray-400"></div> <div class="flex md:justify-center" data-modal-id="sign-in" x-data="{ open: false, init() { this.modalId = this.$el.dataset.modalId; }, show() { console.log(this.data); this.open = true; this.$dispatch('modal-opened', { panel: this.$refs.panel, modalId: this.modalId, }); }, hide() { this.open = false }, }"> <button type="button" aria-label="Sign in dialog..." class="whitespace-nowrap text-gray-300 hover:text-gray-100" aria-label="Open sign in dialog" x-on:click="show()"> Sign In </button> <template x-teleport="body"> <div class="fixed inset-0 z-[99999] overflow-y-auto" role="dialog" aria-modal="true" x-cloak x-show="open" x-on:keydown.escape.window.prevent.stop="open = false" x-id="['modal-title']" x-ref="panel" :aria-labelledby="$id('modal-title')"> <div class="fixed inset-0 bg-slate-900/80 opacity-100 backdrop-blur" x-show="open" x-transition.duration.150ms> </div> <div class="relative flex min-h-screen items-center 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xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 34.7 40"><defs><clipPath id="x_svg__a"><path fill="none" d="M0 0h34.7v40H0z"/></clipPath></defs><g fill="none" clip-path="url(#x_svg__a)"><path fill="currentColor" d="m26.4 0-8.5 16.9h-1.1L8.3 0H.8l10.1 19.4L0 40h7.6l9.2-18.3h1.1L27.1 40h7.6L23.8 19.4 33.9 0z"/></g></svg> </button> </header> <div class="sign-in-panel-body bg-gray-700 px-7 py-4"> <div class="col-span-3 normal-case text-gray-300" x-data="{ html: '', form: '', triggered: false }" x-on:modal-opened.window=" panel = $el.parentElement.parentElement.parentElement.parentElement.parentElement; if (triggered || panel !== event.detail.panel) { return; } triggered = true; html = await (await fetch('/civis/login')).text(); // Parse html for form with action=/civis/login/login parser = new DOMParser(); doc = parser.parseFromString(html, 'text/html'); form = doc.querySelector('form[action="/civis/login/login"]'); // Remove autofocus and set focus to username field username = 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md:leading-[1.05]"> A former Orion manager has surprisingly credible plans to fly European astronauts </h1> <p class="my-3 text-2xl leading-[1.1] text-gray-300 md:leading-[1.2]"> "I know it's super hard, and I know it was crazy." </p> <div class="my-3 md:mb-6 md:mt-0"> <div class="font-impact text-xs font-semibold uppercase text-gray-300"><a class="text-orange-400 hover:text-orange-500" href="https://arstechnica.com/author/ericberger/"> Eric Berger </a> – <span class="whitespace-nowrap"> <time class="mr-[2px] inline-block cursor-default" title="2024-11-22T12:41:26-05:00" datetime="2024-11-22T12:41:26-05:00" x-data="{ compact: false, open: false, date: new Date('2024-11-22T12:41:26-05:00'), updatedTimestamp: false, format: function() { let dateFormat = { year: 'numeric', month: 'short', day: 'numeric' }; let timeFormat = { hour: 'numeric', minute: 'numeric' }; let formatted = this.date.toLocaleDateString(undefined, dateFormat) + ' ' + this.date.toLocaleTimeString(undefined, timeFormat); 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be easy to be cynical about a German-French startup named The Exploration Company, which aims to build an increasingly sophisticated lineup of spaceships that could one day launch astronauts into orbit.</p> <p>After all, European space startups don't have the greatest track record, and even with billions of dollars, one of the world's leading aerospace companies, Boeing, has failed so far to deliver a fully space-worthy human vehicle. Space is hard; human spaceflight is harder. So when a European startup shows up with grandiose plans, one's natural inclination might be to dismiss them.</p> <p>That's more or less how I felt before I spoke with the founder of The Exploration Company, Hélène Huby, this week. She was surprisingly frank about the difficulties in pulling this off and shrewd about her political assessment of why now might just be the time for a new generation of European spacecraft.</p> <p>"I realize this is a very, very big challenge," she told Ars.</p> <h2>Making the leap from Airbus</h2> <p>An economist by training, Huby joined the European aerospace firm Airbus in 2013, working various jobs, including space strategy, before becoming the company's vice president for the Orion spacecraft's service module. As part of NASA's Artemis Program to return humans to the Moon, Europe is building the service module that provides power and propulsion to the Orion capsule.</p> <p>The service module is based on a spacecraft previously built by Airbus for the European Space Agency known as the Automated Transfer Vehicle, or ATV. This ATV spacecraft flew cargo to the International Space Station through 2015 before its retirement. Huby said it was cool to participate in NASA's grand exploration program but said Europe's role was also frustrating. Why? Because the service module was essentially based on 20-year-old technology, and it wouldn't be reused. In some sense, working on the service module felt like looking into the past rather than working toward the future.</p> <div class="ars-interlude-container in-content-interlude mx-auto max-w-xl"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hidden min-w-[300px] justify-self-end bg-gray-100 dark:bg-gray-50 lg:block"> <div class="ad-wrapper is-sticky is-rail"> <div class="ad-wrapper-inner"> <div class="ad ad--rail"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ad-wrapper with-label is-fullwidth"> <div class="ad-wrapper-inner"> <div class="ad ad--mid-content"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mx-auto my-2.5 px-[15px] sm:px-5 lg:grid lg:max-w-5xl lg:grid-cols-3 lg:gap-6 lg:px-8 xl:px-0"> <div class="relative lg:col-span-2"> <div class="post-content post-content-double"> <p>She found herself wanting to build something more modern. Looking across the Atlantic, she drew inspiration from what SpaceX was doing with its reusable Falcon 9 rocket. She watched humans launch into space aboard Crew Dragon and saw that same vehicle fly again and again. "I have a huge admiration for what SpaceX has done," she said.</p> <p>Huby also saw opportunity in that company's success. SpaceX is the only provider of crew transportation in the Western world. It's likely that Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will never become a serious competitor. India's human spaceflight program is making some progress, but it's unclear whether the Gaganyaan vehicle will serve non-Indian customers.</p> <p>The opportunity she saw was to provide an alternative to SpaceX based in Europe. This would yield 100 percent of the market in Europe and offer an option to countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and other nations interested in going to space.</p> <p>"I know it's super hard, and I know it was crazy," Huby said. "But I wanted to try."</p> <div class="page-anchor-wrapper"><a class="record-pageview" name="page-2" data-page="2" data-url="https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/11/how-real-is-this-european-space-startup-that-aims-to-launch-astronauts/"></a></div> <h2>Starting small</h2> <p>She founded The Exploration Company in August 2021 with $50,000 in the bank and a small team of four people. Three years later, the company has 200 employees and recently announced that it had raised $160 million in Series B funding. It marked the first time that two European sovereign funds, French Tech and Germany-based DTCF, invested together. The news even scored a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7264180543129370624/">congratulatory post on LinkedIn</a> from French President Emmanuel Macron, who wrote, "The history of space continues to be written in Europeans."</p> <p>To date, then, Huby has raised nearly $230 million. Her company has already flown a mission, the "Bikini" reentry demonstrator, on the debut flight of the Ariane 6 rocket this last summer. The small capsule was intended to demonstrate the company's reentry technology. Unfortunately, the rocket's upper stage failed on its deorbit burn, so the Bikini capsule remains stuck in space.</p> <p>Still, the company is already hard at work on a second demonstration vehicle, about 2.5 meters in diameter, that will have more than a dozen customers on board. The spacecraft for this demonstration flight, named Mission Possible, is fully assembled, Huby said, and it will launch on SpaceX's Transporter 14 mission next summer, likely in July. This mission was developed in 2.5 years at a cost of $20 million, plus $10 million for the launch.</p> </div> </div> <div class="hidden min-w-[300px] justify-self-end bg-gray-100 dark:bg-gray-50 lg:block"> <div class="ad-wrapper is-sticky is-rail"> <div class="ad-wrapper-inner"> <div class="ad ad--rail"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ad-wrapper with-label is-fullwidth"> <div class="ad-wrapper-inner"> <div class="ad ad--mid-content"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mx-auto my-2.5 px-[15px] sm:px-5 lg:grid lg:max-w-5xl lg:grid-cols-3 lg:gap-6 lg:px-8 xl:px-0"> <div class="relative lg:col-span-2"> <div class="post-content post-content-double"> <p>After this, Huby said developing the Nyx cargo spacecraft is next on the roadmap. This vehicle, similar in size to SpaceX's Cargo Dragon vehicle, will have the capacity to dock with the International Space Station, or other space stations, and also be recoverable for reuse. The current timeline for Nyx's debut is 2028 (Huby recognizes that, yes, in aerospace, sometimes projects miss their schedule). All of the funding from the Series B raise will go toward Nyx's development.</p> <p>The Exploration Company expects to receive $200 million from the European Space Agency in 2025, provided that Mission Possible successfully demonstrates propulsion in space and reentry. Huby said this demonstration will show the European space community that her company and its ambitions are for real.</p> <p>"If we don’t mess up, the excitement will be high enough that we can get the funding," she said.</p> <p>This additional money will help Nyx reach the launch pad. As for the vehicle's rocket, the spacecraft is compatible with Europe's Ariane 6 and a host of other boosters, including SpaceX's Falcon 9, Rocket Lab's Neutron, Japan's H3, and India's GSLV.</p> <h2>From cargo to crew</h2> <p>Huby said Nyx is being developed with the crew in mind, and her belief is that by demonstrating competency with private cargo delivery, European policymakers will be willing to take the next step to help fund the capability to carry astronauts. Italy and France are most interested in this, she said.</p> <p>"Nyx will show that 'hey, we are almost there,'" she said. "It will show that we can do it. I believe it would be very inspirational for Europe."</p> <p>Just like SpaceX needed significant funding from NASA—nearly $3 billion for Crew Dragon—Huby said her company would require a similar amount of funding from European nations. It's not possible to go to the private capital markets right now, get $3 billion, and promise a great return a decade from now. That's not how it works.</p> <p>So she's taking things one step at a time: a demonstration next year followed by springboard funding to finish Nyx. And after that? Well, the stars may align for The Exploration Company to send humans to the stars.</p> </div> <div class="-mx-2.5 sm:mx-0"> </div> <div class="author-mini-bio"> <div class="flex flex-col items-start gap-5 border-t-4 py-5 dark:border-gray-700 sm:flex-row"> <div class="flex items-center gap-3"> <a class="relative block aspect-square h-24 w-24 shrink-0 overflow-hidden rounded-full border-4 border-green-400" href="https://arstechnica.com/author/ericberger/"><img class="absolute left-0 top-0 min-h-full min-w-full object-cover" src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/e.berger-45959.jpg" alt="Photo of Eric Berger"></a> <div class="font-impact mb-0 text-left text-base font-semibold uppercase sm:hidden"> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/author/ericberger/">Eric Berger</a> <span class="block font-sans text-sm font-normal italic sm:inline-block">Senior Space Editor</span> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="font-impact mb-0 hidden text-left text-base font-semibold uppercase sm:block"> <a href="https://arstechnica.com/author/ericberger/">Eric Berger</a> <span class="block font-sans text-sm font-normal italic sm:ml-2 sm:inline-block">Senior Space Editor</span> </div> <div class="text-left text-base leading-5 text-gray-400" itemprop="description"> Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA policy, and author of two books: <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/liftoff-eric-berger?variant=32126620205090"><i>Liftoff</i></a>, about the rise of SpaceX; and <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/759707/reentry-by-eric-berger/"><i>Reentry</i></a>, on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon. 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A former Orion manager has surprisingly credible plans to fly European astronauts - Ars Technica